Racine County committee approves streamlined Youth and Governance application and interview scoring

The Racine County Youth and Governance Committee voted unanimously to approve revisions to the Youth and Governance Program application and interview scoring, the committee’s acting chair announced. The changes were drafted by Chair Caprillion and adopted after discussion and a motion to approve.

The revisions reshape the interview questions to focus more on applicants’ understanding of the role and how their experiences prepare them for it. The committee kept eligibility requirements unchanged: applicants must be Racine County high school freshmen, sophomores or juniors, hold a minimum 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale, be county residents and be able to attend orientation in April 2025, a mentor meeting in May and two departmental bus tours in June 2025.

Under the new format, selection will be scored on a 100‑point scale split evenly between the written application (50 points) and the interview (50 points). The committee removed several prior interview questions and added a new question asking applicants what they understand about the role of a youth and governance representative and how their activities in and out of school prepare them for it. A separate new question asks applicants what they know about the structure and function of Racine County government and why youth involvement matters.

Committee members praised the edits as clearer and more tightly focused on the program’s goals. Supervisor Coleman said the revised form "simplified it more" and that the changes should make scoring "a little bit more consistent." Several members noted the edits will help surface applicants’ enthusiasm and fit while making the interview process more manageable for volunteer interviewers.

Youth representatives who attended the meeting described the virtual interview format favorably. Violet Deshontia said she felt "more confident in myself because I was, like, at my house, like, in a familiar space," and that peer participation during interviews made the experience less intimidating. Savaya Brooks said she was "nervous at first" but that group virtual interviews allowed candidates to refine answers after hearing peers.

The committee moved and seconded the measure and recorded affirmative votes from the youth representatives and committee members; no nays were recorded. Members said they did not believe these procedural, administrative changes required county board approval.

The committee did not set additional changes or deadlines; staff were asked to pass the approved materials to Chair Caprillion and to proceed with implementation for the next application cycle.